SPRINGFIELD – Area cities and counties are mimicking cities and counties across the state with dramatically lower unemployment numbers in July 2021, compared to July 2020.
Alton's overall numbers have drastically improved over the past year from 14.6 percent to 8.3 percent, Edwardsville is at 3.8 percent, compared to 8.2 percent a year ago. Granite City's unemployment numbers are at 6.1 percent compared to 13.8 percent a year ago.
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In the past month, Alton Mayor David Goins and Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy both expressed it is great to see their local economies bustling again after a harder time in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Madison County's economy is healthy, with a 5.3 percent unemployment rate in July 2021, compared to 10.9 percent a year ago. Macoupin County has the lowest unemployment rate by counties in the region this July at 4.6 percent, compared to 9.0 percent last year. Calhoun County has a 4.8 percent unemployment rate compared to 9.3 percent last July in 2020, while Jersey is at 49 percent, compared to 9.6 percent last year. Greene County was at 5.1 percent in July, compared to 8.9 percent a year ago.
The number of nonfarm jobs increased over the year in thirteen of the fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The unemployment rate decreased over the year in all metro areas.
“Today’s data is reflective of the reopening and recovery is touching every corner of the state,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “With the expiration of federal unemployment programs in a week and a half, IDES is focused on matching job seekers with employers to continue to assist with statewide economic recovery.”
The number of nonfarm jobs increased in thirteen Illinois metropolitan areas and was unchanged in one; the Rockford MSA saw no change in total nonfarm jobs. The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+4.4%, +7,500), the Chicago Metro Division (+4.3%, +148,800), and the Peoria MSA (+4.3%, +6,800). The industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Leisure & Hospitality (fourteen areas); Transportation, Warehousing & Public Utilities, Other Services and Government (eleven areas each); Mining & Construction, Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade, Professional & Business Services and Educational & Health Services (nine areas each).
Over the year, the unemployment rate decreased in all 14 metropolitan areas; the metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Rockford MSA (-7.3 points to 8.7%), the Elgin Metro Division (-6.6 points to 5.6%), and the Decatur MSA (-6.2 points to 7.5%). The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division unemployment rate fell -5.3 points to 8.0%.
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